The late monarch was a beloved and progressive figure in Norway, credited with modernizing the institution.
He defied tradition by marrying commoner Sonja, who became queen, and he stood as a unifying presence during the nation’s toughest times.
King Harald passed away just one day shy of his 58th wedding anniversary.
Members of the public have been gathering outside Oslo’s Royal Palace to lay flowers in tribute.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, in a televised memorial address, said Norway is ‘united in grief and gratitude’ for Harald’s service and noted that his ‘legacy lives on’.
Britain’s King Charles III expressed that he is mourning his ‘dear cousin,’ noting that King Harald V was a second cousin of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Haakon VIII is the great-great-great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
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